Rourke’s goal is Grey Cup win, not making history - BERITAJA

Nathan Rourke has the opportunity to execute thing this play that’s ne'er been done successful CFL history.

No Canadian has captured the CFL’s outstanding subordinate grant successful consecutive years. Russ Jackson won it 3 times complete his legendary profession pinch the Ottawa Rough Riders successful 1963, ’66 and ’69.

Last year, Rourke became conscionable the 5th subordinate to triumph the grant and was besides named the league’s apical Canadian. Rourke was the first backmost to complete that expanse since Jackson successful 1969. Winnipeg’s Brady Oliveira successful 2024, Calgary’s Jon Cornish successful 2013 and Ottawa’s Tony Gabriel successful 1978 are the different Canadian MOP winners.

“Just for illustration immoderate different player, I want to beryllium a awesome subordinate and want to beryllium regarded arsenic such,” the B.C Lions prima said. “I do judge moreover if you’re personification who wins aggregate individual awards, if you don’t triumph the large 1 that’s what group are going to say.

“You ever play to triumph and that’s surely the extremity this year.”

Only 5 players person earned consecutive outstanding subordinate awards, the past being Winnipeg’s Zach Collaros (2021-22). Doug Flutie won it 4 consecutive years and six times complete 7 seasons (1991-94, 96-97) pinch B.C., Calgary and Toronto earlier returning to the NFL.

The others were Jackie Parker (1957-58), Dieter Brock (1980-81) and Anthony Calvillo (2008-09). But each are Americans.

The six-foot-one, 209-pound Rourke enjoyed a record-setting ’25 campaign, throwing for a career-high 5,290 yards and 31 touchdowns to lead the Lions (11-7) to 2nd successful the West Division. He besides ran for 564 yards — tops among CFL quarterbacks — and averaged 9.2 yards per transportation while scoring 10 touchdowns.

Rourke’s 5,290 passing yards was a single-season CFL grounds for a Canadian quarterback. The Victoria native’s 31 TD strikes were second-most by a Canadian down Jackson’s 33 successful 1969.

But B.C.’s play ended bitterly pinch a 24-21 West Division last nonaccomplishment astatine Mosaic Stadium to the eventual Grey Cup-champion Saskatchewan Roughriders.

“I don’t cognize if you’re ever really complete it,” Rourke said. “I deliberation it’s 1 of those things wherever it’s little of a lavation and much of conscionable having to move connected because it’s taking up excessively overmuch of your caput space.

“When I look backmost astatine my career, I deliberation the ’25 squad will beryllium wherever I consciousness for illustration we really had everything we needed to triumph it, which makes it each that much disappointing. Hopefully we’re capable to bring it location astatine immoderate constituent soon truthful that could consciousness a small spot better.”

The ’26 play originates Thursday pinch Hamilton hosting Montreal successful a rematch of past year’s East Division final. The Ticats resume chasing their first CFL title since ’99 — the CFL’s longest title drought — while the Alouettes dropped a 25-17 Grey Cup determination to Saskatchewan.

B.C. opens its run June 13 visiting the Riders successful the play opener for both.

Despite his stellar ’25 season, Rourke, 28, said there’s plentifulness of room for improvement.

“I’m trying to return the adjacent measurement successful the offence and conscionable beryllium much businesslike successful continuing to get the shot to our playmakers,” he said. “I deliberation the existent situation going into this play is conscionable trying to beryllium capable to accommodate to defences and really they accommodate and evolve.

“Now there’s a afloat twelvemonth of portion connected our tendencies and what we for illustration to do. Corey Mace (Saskatchewan’s caput coach) is going to person a scheme for america and truthful it’s really do we accommodate to that and still beryllium capable to execute astatine the aforesaid level?”

This year, CFL teams will nary longer triumph games pinch a azygous disconnected a missed section extremity that sails done the extremity zone. Now, nary points will beryllium awarded for errant section goals, punts aliases kickoffs that spell done the extremity area — either successful the aerial aliases via a bounce.

If a returner fields a missed section goal, punt aliases kickoff successful the extremity area and either kneels aliases is tackled successful the extremity area trying to guardant the ball, a azygous will beryllium awarded.

Also, location will beryllium a 35-second automatic reset connected the play timepiece alternatively than the accepted 20 seconds. Once action ceases, the 35-second timepiece will begin.

And each CFL stadium will person squad benches connected other sides of the field.

Two teams will characteristic caller caput coaches successful 2026. After 5 seasons and 2 Grey Cup wins successful Toronto, Ryan Dinwiddie near to go the Ottawa Redblacks’ caput coach/GM, pinch Shawn Burke becoming vice-president of shot operations.

Mike Miller, Toronto’s backmost coach from 2022-25, takes complete arsenic caput coach. And he’ll person a acquainted look nether centre arsenic Chad Kelly returns aft missing each of 2025 pinch a limb wounded suffered successful the ’24 East final.

Under Miller, Kelly was the CFL’s outstanding subordinate successful 2023.

This study by BERITAJA was first published June 3, 2026.